The city of Slidell passed an ordinance in July to outlaw begging without a permit.

The panhandling permit ordinance will take effect Oct. 27. Slidell police said it will grant a 30-day grace period until at least the end of November to give people time to apply for permits.

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The ordinance requires people to fill out a form at the Slidell police station; a criminal background check is part of the permit application process. If issued, the permit would be good for one year and must be worn around the panhandler’s neck anytime they are asking for money. The ordinance also forbids begging on state highways.

Slidell police said the restrictions are because of safety issues -- drivers are distracted by people coming up to their cars, and panhandlers could get hurt. Officials said this isn’t an attack on homeless people, and the permits would apply to other people soliciting, too, such as youth sports teams or outreach groups.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana is weighing in, and it said regulating anyone's speech violates freedom of speech rights.

“People speak,” said Marjorie Esman, with the ACLU. “And in this country, the law is very clear. That speech includes the right to ask for money. So there is no justification for this, legally."

The ACLU could take action to attempt to block the ordinance before Slidell police begin enforcing it at the end of November. The Slidell City Council will consider refreshing some of the language in the ordinance at a meeting next week, Slidell police said.

The mayor and city attorney in Slidell declined to comment Tuesday because they were told a resident could be filing a lawsuit against the city that claims the ordinance violates that resident's right.

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